mileage

IPA/ˈmaɪlɪdʒ/
KK[mˈaɪlədʒ]IPA/ˈmaɪlɪdʒ/

mileage — noun

1. the total number of miles a vehicle has driven, either over its full lifetime or

1.nounB1
Definition

the total number of miles a vehicle has driven, either over its full lifetime or within a specific period such as a day or a week.

Example

Devika bought a car with low mileage because the previous owner rarely drove it.

collocation: low mileage / high mileage

The rental company charges extra if you go over the daily mileage limit.

Common collocations
  • low mileage
  • high mileage
  • total mileage
  • daily mileage
  • mileage counter
  • mileage reading
  • mileage limit
Synonyms
  • distance

    more general term; mileage is distance specifically in miles

  • mileage reading

    the specific number shown on the odometer

Usage Note

Frequently used in the phrases 'high mileage' and 'low mileage' to describe a used vehicle's condition — lower mileage generally means less wear on the engine and parts.

Common Mistakes

My phone has high mileage.
My phone has high usage.
Mileage (sense 1) only refers to vehicles, not electronic devices.

2. a measure of how far a car or truck goes on a fixed amount of fuel — higher figu

2.nounB1
Definition

a measure of how far a car or truck goes on a fixed amount of fuel — higher figures mean the vehicle uses less energy per mile.

Example

Minho bought a hybrid car for its excellent gas mileage in the city.

collocation: good/better/great mileage

The advertisement claims the new model has excellent mileage of sixty miles per gallon.

Common collocations
  • good mileage
  • bad mileage
  • poor mileage
  • great mileage
  • excellent mileage
  • gas mileage
  • fuel mileage
  • mileage per gallon
  • improve mileage
Synonyms
  • fuel economy

    more formal term; preferred in technical writing

  • gas mileage

    common in American English, refers specifically to petrol vehicles

  • fuel consumption

    measures fuel used per distance (inverse of mileage)

Usage Note

In American English, 'gas mileage' is the everyday term. In British English, 'fuel consumption' (measured in litres per 100 km or miles per gallon) is more common, though 'mileage' is also understood.

Common Mistakes

My car gets bad mileage because I drive fast.
My car has poor fuel economy because I drive fast.
'Bad mileage' is acceptable informally in American English but 'poor mileage' or 'poor fuel economy' is more standard.

3. money paid to a person for each mile they travel while doing their job, usually

3.nounB2
Definition

money paid to a person for each mile they travel while doing their job, usually as compensation for using their own car.

Example

The charity covers mileage for volunteers who drive elderly patients to the hospital.

Camila claimed mileage for the two hundred miles she drove to meet clients.

collocation: mileage claim / mileage rate

Common collocations
  • mileage allowance
  • mileage rate
  • mileage claim
  • mileage payment
  • mileage reimbursement
  • claim mileage
  • pay mileage
  • standard mileage
Synonyms
  • travel allowance

    broader term that may cover other travel costs, not just mileage

  • mileage allowance

    the specific per-mile portion of a travel allowance

  • per diem

    a daily allowance that may or may not include mileage

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively in work-related contexts. The 'mileage rate' is usually set by a government agency or the employer, not negotiated individually.

4. the amount of practical benefit, enjoyment, or continued useful life that you ob

4.nounB2
Definition

the amount of practical benefit, enjoyment, or continued useful life that you obtain from something, often extending its value beyond what was expected.

Example

Rania got great mileage out of her hiking boots — they lasted six years on trails.

phrase: get a lot of mileage out of something

The politician got political mileage from the law by mentioning it at every rally.

Common collocations
  • get mileage out of
  • get more mileage from
  • political mileage
  • extra mileage
  • squeeze mileage from
  • a lot of mileage
Synonyms
  • benefit

    broader and more neutral; lacks the 'extended use' nuance

  • use

    simpler word; 'get a lot of use out of something' is a common paraphrase

  • value

    focuses on worth rather than duration of use

Antonyms
  • waste

    the opposite of obtaining value from something

Grammar Patterns

get (a lot of) mileage out of something

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the phrase 'get (a lot of / some / more) mileage out of something' or 'squeeze mileage from something'. The object is typically a possession, idea, or situation — not a person.

Common Mistakes

I got good mileage from my car this week.' (ambiguous — could mean sense 1, 2, or 4).
I got a lot of mileage out of that old suitcase before it fell apart.
To avoid ambiguity with other senses, use the full phrase 'get mileage out of' and name something that is clearly not a vehicle.
Idioms

get more mileage out of something

idiom

to make something last longer, be useful for a longer time, or produce more benefit than seemed likely.

Heloísa decided to get more mileage out of last year's planner by using its blank pages for notes.

The drama teacher got extra mileage out of the old stage curtains by dyeing them a new colour.

your mileage may vary

idiom

This expression means that different people might have different experiences or opinions about something.

I loved that movie, but your mileage may vary.

The software worked well for Sara, but your mileage may vary.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four terms relate to how far a vehicle has travelled, 'mileage' is the broadest and most common everyday word — it refers to the total miles driven, and can also double as a measure of fuel economy (sense 2). 'Distance' is more general and can apply to anything from walking to space travel, whereas 'mileage' is tied specifically to vehicles and road travel. 'Mileage reading' or 'odometer reading' refer to the exact number displayed on a car's dashboard at a given moment. For example, you might say 'the car has low mileage' (condition), but 'what does the mileage reading say?' (checking the exact number before a trip).

mileage ↗distance ↗mileage readingodometer reading

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English around the 1750s by combining 'mile' (the unit of distance, from Latin 'mille passus' meaning a thousand paces) with the suffix '-age' (which turns a measure into a quantity or rate). Originally it simply meant 'distance in miles.' The figurative sense of 'advantage or benefit obtained' emerged in American English in the mid-1900s, likely from the idea of 'getting the most distance (and therefore value) out of something'.